Office Hours

Bulletin Reflection

Coming to Grips with the “S” Word

By Alice Camille

Whenever I go out to parishes and talk about sin, at least one person will approach me afterwards to protest. The objection is quite predictable: Sin is a nasty word and people don’t want to hear it. Particularly they don’t want to hear it applied to them. After all, the context of this conversation is in church, and these are all good and well-meaning folks. They’re not run-of-the-mill sinners: robbing banks, dealing drugs to schoolchildren, leading lecherous lives in back alleys. These are daily Mass-goers, for crying out loud. Besides, sin-talk makes them feel bad, dirty, and unworthy, and haven’t we had enough of that experience in church already? Can’t we let go of the brow- and breast-beating language and encourage self-esteem? People come to church to feel better about their lives, not worse. As a late Baby Boomer I, too, grew up in a church soaked in sin-consciousness, and I was grateful when the conversation changed to social justice and reading the Bible more. But the more I read the Bible and engaged the work of justice, the more I encountered the deep reality of a wounded world that can only be understood in terms of human culpability. So we’re back to sin. From the perspective of religion, it’s an inescapable proposition. It’s no surprise we try to shrink from identifying our culpability at every turn. King David ordered a man killed so he could enjoy the man’s wife without complications. And David, we know, was a good man; he was God’s anointed. Ten centuries later another really good man, Saint Peter, demonstrated that his faith in the Jewish law was stronger than his reliance on Jesus when he deserted Gentile believers at the table so as not to lose the respect of Jewish observers. That Saint Paul makes a lot of noise about it in his letter to the Galatians shows him in an unattractive light, too. “Lord, forgive the wrong I have done” indeed, as the psalmist says. Jesus has no quarrel with the idea of sin. He acknowledges plainly his willingness to eat with sinners and receive their gratitude openly. He doesn’t mind the contact with sin when he breaks Sabbath laws, touches the sick and the dead, or is seen with the wrong kind of people in intimate settings. So he eats with tax collectors and prostitutes. So he travels with women and teaches them as well. So sue him, Mosaic-ly speaking—which is precisely what the lawyers around him are anxious to do. Jesus relies on the wrong kind of people for his entire ministry: ignorant Galileans who drop their nets to follow him, tax collectors who abandon their posts, women who finance his ministry out of pocket because someone has to pay for all this (see “men dropping nets and taxmen abandoning posts” above). Being a sinner’s not so bad. Sinners get forgiven.

Announcements

The CWL Clothing Depot, located at 619-20th St. West, in Saskatoon, would appreciate donations of new and gently used summer clothing, shoes and purses. Also required are sheets, comforters, blankets, towels and small kitchen items. These can be dropped off at the above address or call 306-242-5042 for pick up at your front door.

50th Ordination Anniversaries: On June 16 St. Anne’s Parish will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Frs. Lawrence DeMong and Ralph Kleiter’s ordination to the priesthood as well as the ordination of Dan Yasinski who will preside at the 11 am Mass. A Fathers’ Day breakfast will be provided by the Knights of Columbus and a program involving the presence of Bishop Don Bolen from 2-3 pm will celebrate a variety of vocations including 60th anniversaries of Marriage. A hamburger supper with potluck salads and desserts will be offered to all present at 4 pm. Everyone welcome.

The Diocese of Saskatoon aims to make parishes safe places for everyone. The Covenant of Care and Sexual Abuse and Misconduct Protocol are the code of ethics and procedures dealing with issues of misconduct and abuse by both lay and ordained within our Catholic community. The covenant and protocol can be found online at www.saskatoonrcdiocese.com/covenantofcare Those without access to the Internet can obtain a copy of the documents by calling the Catholic Pastoral Centre at (306) 242-1500 or toll free at 1-877-661-5005. If, after reading the documents, there are points you would like clarified, please feel free to contact your pastor or Diocesan Coordinator of Care Blake Sittler at (306) 659-5834. All parishes have been asked to name a Parish Coordinator of Care (PCC) by mid-June and then to permanently promote the PPC name and contact number in the parish bulletin. Anyone who is aware of a breach of the protocol may contact the pastor or PPC. If you are uncomfortable with reporting it within the parish you may contact the Diocesan Coordinator of Care directly by calling Blake Sittler at (306) 659-5834. Allegations of a criminal nature should be made directly to city police or the local branch of the RCMP.

COFFEE AND MUFFINS SERVEDJoin fellow parishioners for coffee and muffins served in the lower hall on Sunday, June 23rd following the 9:00 a.m. Mass.

The first annual Evening Under the Starsconcert will assist St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation to purchase a Digital Transmission Electron Microscope, the first of its kind in Saskatchewan. The concert is scheduled for Wednesday, August 21 at Whitecap Sports Centre on the Whitecap Dakota First Nation south of Saskatoon. Gates will open at 5:00 p.m. Early bird tickets are $50 and are available at Sask Jazz Festival Box Office, Delta Bessborough Hotel 601 Spadina Cres E, 306.652-4700 or 1.800.638.1211.

The Evening Under the Stars concert offers great food, captivating entertainment and an opportunity to experience First Nations culture all wrapped up in a natural prairie setting with a full moon to light the stage. Headline act is The Music of Queen, presented by Jeans n Classics, accompanied by the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra and a local symphonic choir. Detailed information is available at http://eveningunderthestars.ca

Home Ministry of Care

Happy Father’s Day for all of the fathers—young and old; and for those men in our lives that are our spiritual Fathers. It doesn’t matter if you have only been a father for a little while or many, many years ,we want to say Thank You for your work and just for being there. Carrie Witzel

Fathers young, fathers old

Remembering good times are our gold.

Value earned through guidance given

Helping us go forth in living’.

Each father adding to our trove

A treasure chest of love untold.

Remembering father in our lives

Taking time to realize.

Fatherly love brings wealth to living

Remembering this we go forth in giving.

Fathers young, fathers old

We remember you all

As life unfolds.

Ragini

Youth Ministry

Well it is Father’s Day, a great opportunity to thank the other incredibly significant person in our lives. Back in May we all stopped, the entire North American world stopped (if only for a moment) to wish half of our community Happy Mother’s Day and today we are blessed to wish Happy Father’s day. It is of incredible value to appreciate all of the family, Mother’s & Father’s and the life they bring. I am ever amazed each time I re-read the Christmas Story and know if it were not for two incredible “YES” responses we would look at the world with different eyes. Mary said “YES” and not long after that the church reminds us of Joseph’s “YES” as he took Mary into his home and they began life together. The Redemptorist Web Page/Link – http://www.Redemptorist.tv, invites us to look at different YES responses. That page has been advertised in many places and many Catholic Newspapers. It has been supported by members of our own parish family. That page provides us an opportunity to look into our families and see how they are not all that different from the Holy Family, every family begins with a mom and a dad, every family begins with prayer, support and encouragement from others. Every family begins with VOCATIONS, have you looked at yours?

We are all called to serve the Church, we are all encouraged to say “YES”! The young children from our lives said YES on Wednesday evening through Confirmation & First Communion, the young men of our community (Dan & Colin) said YES on Friday through Ordination, what is our YES, is it Blackstrap Youth Camp, is it supporting the Ministry of Care, is it supporting one of our Parish groups or committees, is it fully living the YEAR OF FAITH, how do we say YES?